More fall festival pictures

Church at home January 5, 2014

We had church at home on January 5, 2014 due to snow and ice. We held sacrament meeting and primary in our house. It was fun to bring the spirit into our home and give the kids responsibilities. Brody was the Bishop, and Peyton was the primary president. 

One of my favorite activities was a game about sacrifice. We learned about the story of Abraham and Isaac from Genesis 22, and then laid out several pieces of paper with very important things written on them and each person had to go around and choose the 5 things they absolutely could not live without. It was interesting to see what we all chose. 

Next, we wrote letters as to why our family loves us. I loved to hear the kids responses. 

Halloween Craft Night

A couple of weeks ago, we decided to have a craft night at our house, and a few of our neighborhood friends came over to join.  We made pumpkins out of plates, skeletons out of q-tips, and a candy corn tree.  As you can see, lots of fun was had by all!

Pumpkin Patch

A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to go to the Right Choices Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch in Missouri, to celebrate 2 sweet little girls birthdays.  Camry and Kenlee Lowden both turned 2 within 2 weeks of eachother, so Erin and April had a joint party.  

The kids had fun on the cow train, the hay ride, the slides, looking at the animals in the small farm zoo, eating kettle corn, swinging on tire swings, exploring caves, and picking pumpkins.  Peyton decided she wanted to go in her Halloween costume--why not?

Ward Fall Festival 2013

This year, our ward fall festival consisted of decorating classroom doors inside the church, and handing out candy to the kids who came by, a costume contest, and a chili cook off.  I brought some healthy quinoa chicken chili just to contribute, and wound up winning 2nd place in the chili cook off!  I have never won any awards for cooking before.  Who says healthy can't taste good?

Brody went as the Hulk, Peyton was a kitty cat, and Beckett was a pirate.  Aren't they adorable?  We had so much fun!  

Rest Well, Sweet Angel

I only have the emotional capacity to write one post tonight, so this will be it. 

I am a member of a special sisterhood I have formed with some girls I went to highschool with, and other mama's who want to live a natural lifestyle as much as possible.  We call ourselves NMOSS, or Natural Mothers of South Sound.  

One of our sweet NMOSS sisters, Brittnee Denham, had to do the hardest thing any parent will ever have to do.  She had to kiss and hug her daughter for the last time.  She had to tell her she loved her for the last time.  She had to stroke her hair, and inhale her scent, with the hopes of bottling it in her mind forever.  She had to examine her fingers and her toes, and each magnificent feature that made up baby Jorja, and capture them as a mental picture for eternity.  Then, she had to say goodbye, and watch, as her daughter passed away into our Heavenly Father's Kingdom.  

I know that Brittnee and Chris will raise Jorja in Heaven someday, when it is their time.  I know that Ryder will always be Jorja's brother, and in the eternities, they will be able to develop the relationship that they should have been able to form through childhood and adolescents, and into adulthood.  I know that families are forever.  I know this, and this brings me comfort.  I just pray that Heavenly Father will wrap His loving arms around Brittnee, and Chris, and Ryder, and comfort them, for as long as it takes for their hearts to stop breaking...even if that means he holds them forever.  

I spent a lot of time getting frustrated, and short, and raising my voice with my children today.  I knelt in prayer tonight and begged for forgiveness and expressed unending gratitude that I had the time I had with my children today...no matter how crazy, and disobedient, and stressful my children were, or the day was.  I am grateful.  Life is too short to not play around, to worry about it being 5 minutes past bedtime.  It is too short to tell my son to brush his teeth, when he really wants to show me the dance move he just learned at Hip Hop.  It is too short not to take the time to go through my daughter's school work, and have her explain each and every page, when all I really want to do is take a bath.  It is too short not to answer "who's there?" 100 times when Beckett does a knock-knock joke.  Life is to short not to live it to the fullest, and to show your children unconditional love.

So, wherever you are at, no matter how old your children are, go tell them you love them.  If you are in a proximity that would allow it, hug them tight, and don't let go.  And don't forget to keep the Denham family in your prayers constantly at this time of grief and loss.  Heaven received a very beautiful angel tonight.

Miss Spider

Hanging on the wall of the Kindergarten Hall, at Apple Glen Elementary, in Bentonville, AR, is this piece of art work, made by Peyton Petersen.  I love it!  "Miss Spider is nice.  I was nice when I helped my brother clean his room."  Good job, Peyton!